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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. charge — electricity
  4. snap — to click
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. charge — a price
  7. stock — shares
  8. race — a contest
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. charge — in control
  14. race — humankind
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. race — the arms race
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com